


Wandering Soldier

by elless



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-01
Updated: 2012-01-01
Packaged: 2017-11-11 01:08:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/472768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elless/pseuds/elless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jensen comes home after being stationed overseas for a long time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wandering Soldier

Jensen feels like he’s been traveling for a week, like he’s spent the last several days eating bad airport food and sitting in cramped seats. It has been a couple days, multiple planes, and too many layovers. That’s what he gets for being deployed on the other side of the world and trying to get home during July 4 weekend.

He nearly sags in relief when the cab pulls up outside their house, a small bungalow with too-long grass and toys scattered everywhere. Being this close,  _finally_ , reinvigorates him, and he hops out of the cab after handing over what’s probably too much cash. Shouldering his duffle, he circles around the yard to the backdoor. They never use the front entrance except for Jared’s parents and any deliveries. He’s counting on the door being unlocked, since he doesn’t have his keys. This is meant to be a surprise, so he didn’t call Jared ahead of time, despite aching to hear Jared’s voice over a better connection than the shit they got out in the field.

Jensen always knew he’d join the Navy. It used to be all he ever wanted, until he met Jared and his priorities shifted. He’d wanted to see the world and serve his country, and now all he wants is to be home and never leave. He still loves the Navy, only not as much as he loves his family. It’s a tough life to balance, and he’s getting tired of it.

The backdoor is open wide to catch the breeze, the screen door quietly banging against the frame. The kitchen is empty when Jensen walks in. It smells like coffee and the disgusting oatmeal Jared eats for breakfast, and his heart aches at that. He missed it so much, teasing Jared about his terrible taste in food and refusing to kiss him until he brushed his teeth. Jared inevitably pinned Jensen to the counter and breathed on him, rubbing his face against Jensen’s until he gave in and kissed Jared, laughing into each other’s mouths.

Dropping his duffle by the door, Jensen runs a hand along the countertop, fingers bumping over the spot where he’d accidentally dropped a cast iron skillet and took a chunk out of the edging. It makes him smile now. He’d been half afraid he’d forget things like this after so long away, all the little quirks that made this their home.

Just then, he hears bare feet slapping on tile and looks up in time to see Isabel run into the kitchen. She’s wearing a yellow and white sundress, black hair pulled into lopsided pigtails. Jensen’s heart turns over, seeing her so big and beautiful. Isabel skids to a stop when she spots him, dark eyes going wide and mouth open in a tiny O.

“Daddy!” she yells at the top of her voice, and Jensen hates it, because it’s not her saying his name and jumping into his arms. It’s a shrill shriek for Jared and tearing off for the living room as fast as her little legs will carry her.

He doesn’t blame her, not really. He hasn’t seen her since she was a baby, except the rare occasions he could get on Skype. She was only 8 months old, not even walking yet, and certainly not talking. She’s almost 3 now and doesn’t know him from a stranger. It’s enough to break his heart.

He’s been away too damn long.

“Isabel? Bug, what’s wrong? What’s going––”

Jared cuts off as he rounds the corner and finds Jensen standing there. He stops up short, and the way his face lights up makes everything worth it. With an incoherent noise, Jared strides forward and hauls Jensen into a crushing hug. It knocks the wind out of him, but it doesn’t matter because he’s clinging to Jared just as tightly. Jared’s murmuring  _oh god_ and  _Jensen_ in his ear, voice raw and breaking. Jensen feels tears sting his eyes. He does nothing to stop them, just buries his face in Jared’s neck and holds on for dear life.

Eventually, Jared eases up a little, loosening his grip on the back of Jensen’s uniform shirt, skimming his palms up and down Jensen’s back instead.

“What are you doing here?” Jared asks, full of awe and disbelief. “You weren’t supposed to be here till next week.”

“Uh, surprise? I took an earlier flight. Couldn’t wait to get home.”

Jared’s hands come up to cup his face, so gentle Jensen wants to cry. “This isn’t a dream, right? You’re really here?”

He doesn’t tell Jared that this might only be an extended visit, that he could be deployed again in 6 months or a year or even sooner. All that can wait. “I’m really here.” His voice cracks on the last word, but Jared’s kissing him, gentle and sweet at first and then desperate and hungry, and his body molds itself to Jared the same way it always has, still reacts to him the same way.

They’d emailed and talked when they could, even sent old-fashioned handwritten letters a few times, but it was never enough. Jensen had been incommunicado most of the time, doing secret bodyguard duty for people everyday US citizens aren’t supposed to know about. Access to anything in the “real” world had been severely lacking. It wasn’t unusual to go weeks without seeing Jared’s face or hearing his voice.

Goddammit, he’d missed his family.

Sometime later they’re interrupted by a soft voice whispering, “Daddy?” and small hands tugging on Jared’s pant leg. Jared breaks their kiss and crouches down to Isabel’s level. She’s clutching a stuffed rabbit and a thumb keeps drifting to her mouth every time she stares up at Jensen with huge, wary eyes.

“It’s okay, bug. This is your papa. Remember? We talk to him on the computer and his picture’s on the table by your bed?”

Jensen’s heart aches at that. He’s so grateful to Jared, not only for sticking by him through all of their moves and Jensen’s deployments, but also for never once complaining about essentially raising Isabel alone and for trying to keep Jensen present in her life even when he’s a world away. He fell in love with Jared around 3 hours after they met, but he’s never loved him more than he does right now.

Isabel continues to stare at him, though her stance has eased somewhat and there appears to be recognition there.

“Hi, sweetheart,” Jensen says, attempting a reassuring smile.

Jared picks her up and steadies her on one hip. He’s an old pro at it now, Jensen notes, far from the man that was afraid he’d drop her if he didn’t hold her just right.

“Will you say hi?” he asks Isabel, but she ducks her head shyly, watching Jensen carefully from around Jared’s arm. “She’ll warm up to you quickly, I’m sure.”

“Yeah.”

But then, to their surprise, Isabel propels herself out of Jared’s arms and into Jensen’s. He catches her with a soft  _oomph_ , caught completely unprepared. And, yeah, the tears finally spill over when Isabel wraps her slim arms around his neck and tucks herself into his chest. She’s still so small, even if she’s a lot bigger than when he left. He could beat himself up for missing her first steps and her first words, her first birthday and the first time she played in the ocean, but he’s done that enough. He’s simply going to enjoy having his little girl in his arms.

After a few minutes, she wiggles away and heads for the living room, bouncing as she goes. Jared beams at him and draws him into another hug, softly pressing his lips to the corner of Jensen’s mouth.

“Are you okay? Do you want anything? Food or, I don’t know, something?” Jared babbles, and Jensen can’t help grinning. The shock of it all is finally dissipating, and he can truly enjoy being home.

“I would love a pizza and a shower that isn’t cold and a good cup of coffee and a taco the size of my head and a nap and a chance to just hold you for hours. Not necessarily in that order.”

Jared laughs quietly against his temple. “I think I can arrange all that. Where do you want to start?”

“Honestly? A nap. I’ve been traveling for ages and I’m exhausted.”

“Go on to bed. When you get up, I’ll have food, so much you’ll want to puke.”   

Jensen kisses Jared’s jaw. “Thank you.”

Jared shrugs a shoulder as Jensen grabs his duffle off the floor. Later, he and Jared will talk about the things that aren’t classified, he’ll get to know his daughter better and reconnect with family and friends. Right now he can’t wait to sleep in a real bed and eat decent food.

“Jen?”

He pauses in the doorway and turns back to look at Jared. “Yeah?”

“I’m really glad you’re home."

The smile that spreads across his face probably makes him look demented, but he doesn't care. He's _home_. "Me too."

 


End file.
